Deception
by The Italian Peach
Summary: [TATE] Sequel to Meet the Todds. Someone is trying to break apart Kate and Tony's marriage.
1. Blondie

So many people wanted a squeal to Meet the Todds, but I was reluctant to do one since I don't like writing stories about babies. But then, I got an inspiration. A big round of applause for my muse!

So this takes place maybe one month after MTT. It's inspired by a line from Truth or Dare.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

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Caitlin Todd DiNozzo had a list of things she really hated, and as she shuffled to her desk one morning, she decided to put getting pregnant on the top of that list. Tony was going to suffer badly when this baby was out. 

Settling into her chair, Kate tried to lean down to turn on her computer. Unfortunately, the size of her swollen stomach made it impossible. "Tony!" she snapped at her husband. "Turn this stupid machine on for me!"

Obediently, her husband hurried over from his desk. Pushing the buttons to get the machine started, he moved behind his wife and began to massage her shoulders. "Kate, Kate, Kate. Relax. Being cranky gets one no where." He said this in a dreamy, meditated voice, in an attempt to stop Kate's temperament, but was rewarded with a swift kick as Kate swung on her chair to face him.

"This. Is. All. Your. Fault," she hissed through gritted teeth. I'm six months pregnant and in great pain. Damn. Maybe my dad was right."

A look of pain passed over Tony's face. Kate immediately regretted her words. She knew that Tony was still sensitive about the issue with her dad. "Sorry Tony. Didn't mean that."

He nodded and looked away before hurrying back to his desk.

Kate sighed. Great. Now Tony was a bit pissed at her. Well, it was sort of her fault. She knew better than to bring up the subject about her father. Heaving another sigh, she pushed herself (painfully) out of her chair and waddled over to Tony's desk. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she kissed his temple. "I'm really sorry. Forgive me?" she whispered.

Tony smiled lightly. "Only if we can name the baby Alessandra."

Kate groaned. "Alessandra sounds so formal! Let's give her, if it is a her, a spunky name. Like Kelli."

"But it's a tradition in my family! The youngest son's eldest daughter is always named Alessandra!"

Kate glared at him playfully. "I'll consider it."

At that moment, Gibbs strode into the bullpen, talking on the phone. Kate and Tony paused in their conversation to watch him. They knew his next words. Gibbs flicked the cell off. "We've got a body. Tony, McGee, grab the truck."

Kate frowned. "Wait. What happened to 'Kate, Tony, get the truck'?"

Gibbs looked at her strangely. "You're pregnant Kate. There is no way in God that I'd let a pregnant woman go onto a crime scene."

Kate opened her mouth to argue, but Gibbs interrupted. "No discussion about it, Agent Todd." Kate closed her mouth and grumpily went to her desk.

"You'll be doing paperwork today Kate." Gibbs told her before exiting the bullpen.

An hour later, Kate was in a really bad mood. Sitting around surrounded by papers did not equal a good day in her world. Slipping off her shoes, she reclined back in her chair. Was it lunch time yet?

Looking up, Kate noticed a thin blonde woman looking lost. Frowning, she called over, "Can I help you Miss?"

The woman gave a start. She collected her nerves quickly and sauntered over to Kate's desk.

"Yes. I'm looking for Special Agent DiNozzo."

Kate knew that the woman was referring to Tony, but heck, this was a good time to flaunt her new surname. "Well, you've found her."

A look of surprise passed the stranger's face. Before she could say anything though, Kate continued. "I assume by the look on your face that you're looking for my husband, Tony. He's out on a crime scene right now. Can I take a message?"

The woman shook her head nervously. "Uh, um, no," she stuttered. "I-I'll come back later."

Kate watched her walk off quickly. Ah well, at least there were stranger people in the world.

**TBC

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Who's the mysterious woman? What does she want? Stick around to find out!

Review pretty please!


	2. Mysterious Affairs

Woah...you guys must be physic or something! Jewelbaby_ almost_ guessed the plot...but not quite. Not quite...

Disclaimer: Own nothing. Cept Liz.

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The blonde woman strode quickly to the elevator and pushed the down button, her fingers shaking. She wasn't sure what she'd gotten herself into, but she didn't like it. An elevator arrived, and she stepped in, glad that the enclosed space was empty. Digging around in her purse, she found a pair of sunglasses and popped them on.

Outside of the NCIS HQ, she got into her car and clutched the wheel with both hands as she backed out of the parking lot and pulled away down the street. Her conversation with Kate kept replaying in her mind. _She's married to him. I don't want to ruin their relationship. _An internal battle was taking place as she pulled into another parking lot and got out of her car and glanced at her watch. Good. There was still time to back out.

Hurrying through the doors of the building, she was directed to a room with several chairs. Flopping down onto one of them, she told the person sitting in front of her, "I can't do it."

The man frowned. "Why not?"

The woman took off her sunglasses. "You didn't tell me that he was married. Or that his wife was pregnant."

Her companion leaned back in his chair. "Well that's the point of this whole thing. To ruin their marriage."

Her face paled. "I can't do that."

The man leaned closer to her. "Listen, I can tell that you're uncomfortable with this. I have a proposition to make. Would one million dollars convince you to carry out this plan?"

She fidgeted and clutched her Prada bag closer to her. "Well…"

The man's eyes gleamed. "Make it two million."

The woman looked up. "Deal."

A smile slithered across his face. "Good. Leave the rest up to me."

The blonde nodded and stood up. Shakily, she made her way out the door and into the bright sunlight. The sun's rays did nothing to warm her up.

* * *

Kate sighed and leaned on the doorframe of the room. She could hear Tony swearing at the kitchen oven, which wouldn't turn on. He'd have to stop that, of course, when the baby was born.

Stepping into the dimly lit room, Kate made her way to the little crib with blue and pink blankets lining it. The entire room was decorated in blue and pink. The sex of the baby had yet to be revealed, but Kate wanted so desperately to start decorating its room.

Running a hand along the soft fleece sheets, Kate couldn't help but feel that everything was perfect. She wasn't one to believe in perfection, but this felt so right. She was exactly where she wanted to be in life: a loving husband, a good job, and a baby.

Crossing her fingers, Kate prayed that everything would stay exactly as it was.

* * *

Kate and Tony arrived early to work the next day. McGee wasn't there yet, and neither was Gibbs. There was one person standing by their desks though: the blonde woman from yesterday.

The woman saw them approached and hurried towards them. "Tony!" she exclaimed happily, and went right on to give Tony a big hug. "It's so good to see you again!" Kate made a face.

Tony managed to push the woman off him. Smiling politely, he asked, "And you are?"

The woman frowned. "It's me Hon. Liz."

Mentally, Tony did a brief scan of the list of woman he'd dated. He certainly didn't remember a Liz. Well, he might as well humor her. "Right. Liz. How are things?"

Liz smiled and walked Tony to his desk. "You might want to sit down. I've got some big news."

"Excuse me," Kate interrupted. "But if this concerns my husband, then I'd like to hear it too."

A look of recognition flashed over Liz's face. "Oh! I remember you. But I'm not sure if you want to hear this."

Kate was getting annoyed. Who the hell was this woman and what did she want? Her attitude was certainly unnerving. "I want to hear this," she assured Liz.

"All right then." Turning back to Tony, Liz asked, "Do you remember when we slept together a month ago?"

Kate swung toward Tony, her eyes flashing in disbelief. Tony looked confused. "Uh…no?"

Liz moved some things off Tony's desk and sat on it. "Oh honey, you were so drunk that night, I'm not surprised you don't remember it. But don't worry, you were great."

Tony glanced at Kate. "Listen. I have no clue who you are, and I don't think you have the right to come in and tell me that I slept with you last month. I'm married, and I haven't been with anyone but my wife."

Liz sighed and shook her head. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she said, "Tony, it only gets worse."

The married pair turned to look at the blonde.

"I'm pregnant with your baby."

**TBC**

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I bet that you all saw that coming. Whoopdie Doo. BUT! All is not as it seems.

I LOVE ALL YOU REVIEWERS! KEEP IT UP!


	3. Women Named Liz

Ok so I made a mistake when I said that this story was inspired by a line from Truth or Dare. It isn't. It's actually a line from Marshmallows, which isn't part of this "trilogy" I'm writing. But if you will, I'd like for everyone to pretend, just for this chapter, that Marshmallows is connected to T or D and MTT. Ok ok…so on with the story!

Disclaimer: Blah blah blah...I own nothing.

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"_You take them for sex, leave them, and take another one. It's a cycle. Dammit, I wouldn't be surprised you are actually the father of a bunch of illegitimate children." _

Kate couldn't remember when she'd said those words, but she knew that she spoken them to Tony sometime before they got together. The words had come back, she decided, to haunt her.

Oh, it wasn't like she didn't know that marrying Tony was a big risk. He was the biggest player in NCIS history, but she knew that he could stay committed if he tried hard enough. And it was true. During their six months of dating and their seven months of marriage, Kate had not a single reason to doubt that Tony was seeing her and her alone.

But then, where did this-this Liz- fit in with the picture she'd painted of Tony?

It didn't really matter. Kate wasn't thinking about how to squeeze the new comer into their lives. She wasn't thinking about how absurd Liz's claim was. She was only thinking about how much her heart _hurt_. She was betrayed, to put it simply. And as Kate's delicate, paper heart was ripped into two by the man she trusted more than any one in the world, she let out a heart wrenching cry and ran from the room to the elevators, dodging Gibbs, who'd come in with his usual coffee.

Gibbs loved Kate. Not love love. It was more…parental love. Kate, Tony, McGee, Abby…they were all his children, and as any parent would, he loved his children deeply, and would just lose it if anything hurt them.

One glance at the sobbing Kate as she stepped into the elevators was all it took for Gibbs to realize that Tony had hurt her. Bad. Just like he'd warned him not to. Looking over at Tony's desk, he saw that Tony was staring off in the direction that Kate went. A spurt of anger raced through him as he noticed the blonde woman next to Tony. He thought he saw a flash of nervousness race across her face before it was replaced by scorn.

"That whore. She's also pregnant with your kid, huh?"

Gibbs was upon her in a flash. He didn't hesitate has he reached out and grabbed a fistful of Blondie's golden locks. Jerking the hair toward him, he ignored her cry of pain. "That whore is the best damn agent we have, and if I ever hear you talk about her like that again, I will make sure that you're going to be sorry."

Liz struggled against Gibbs's grip on her hair. The former marine had already turned his attention to Tony, though he still gripped the golden strands tightly. "What does she mean that Kate's _also _pregnant?"

Tony looked at his hands. "I don't see how it's possible, but Liz here insists that she's pregnant with my baby."

Liz's hair was abandoned. Instead, Gibbs's hand now clutched Tony's brown hair, jerking his head forward. "YOU WHAT?"

Tony stumbled, his voice cracking. "I-I couldn't have. I don't how it's possible." Trying to look up at Gibbs, he cried, "I would never hurt Kate! You know that Boss."

Gibbs flung Tony from him. Pointing a finger at Liz, he snapped, "Get the hell out of here."

She nodded. "You should probably talk to Kate," she advised before breezing out of the room.

As soon as she stepped into the elevator, Liz felt her knees buckle and give way. She flung out her arms and clutched the railing for support, feeling tears well at her eyes.

Once again, she found herself in the room with the man. "I did it."

The man grinned wolfishly. "Good." He reached over and patted her hand. She pulled it away as if it'd been stung.

"This can't be right. That woman-Kate, she was crying when I told them."

A look of pain crossed the man's face. "Ah, we must hurt Kate in order to make her truly happy."

Liz shuddered. "I should be going now."

The man nodded. "Come back if anything happens."

* * *

Gibbs and Tony sat alone in an interrogation room. The younger man looked worn, and he stared at the tabletop as his boss yelled at him, hateful words flung toward him at 100 miles per hour.

"I specifically told you that if you ever hurt Kate, you'd be sorry! And being the heartless bastard you are, you apparently didn't take my threat seriously!"

A chocked cry escaped Tony's lips. "Gibbs, listen to me!" he pleaded. "I didn't knock that woman up! She's lying I tell you!"

"How do I know that you didn't run off to a bar one night?"

Tony's eyes hardened. "Because you know that I'd never lie about that." He looked away. "Gibbs, there is one test that a woman must pass before I hit on her."

"Oh? And what's that?

"I never date women named Liz."

Gibbs stifled a look of shock from appearing on his face.

Tony continued. "When I was little, I lived next door to a girl named Liz. She was such an angel. I really did love her, in a childish way. One day, Liz committed suicide. I was there when they took away her body."

Gibbs placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"It was really windy that day." Tony's voice started to crack. "The wind blew off the sheet covering her body. I saw her, so bloody with those huge gashes on her wrists. I knew that the name Liz would always be connected to that image, so I've avoided women named that."

Gibbs saw the point of Tony's story. "That means you wouldn't have talked at length with Liz, much less sleep with her."

Tony nodded. "I told you she was lying." He paused. "But how do we prove that? No one's going to believe that I never sleep with women named Liz. Especially not Kate."

"Well, I know one way to prove that she is lying."

Tony looked up.

"We get Abby to prove that you scientifically can't be the father."

**TBC**

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Next chapter, we shall seehow Kate's faring.

Review!


	4. Meeting

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

It wasn't raining, but it should've been. Kate stood on the street corner and watched blurred cars drive by. The sun shining warmly, but she shivered and sniffed. People bumped into her as they crossed the street, and she willingly let them do so. It was so unlike the old Kate Todd. The Kate Todd of the past would've been the person doing the bumping, instead of vice versa. What had ever become of that independent, free-spirited woman?

Oh, that's right. She married a total bastard.

_Tony is not a bastard._ Kate's trusty conscience was ever present, reminding her of that fact. She sniffed again and wiped away tears. Special Agents did not cry when their hearts were broken. Hell, Special Agents weren't even supposed to fall in love. _I guess Gibbs was right about some things._

Kate sighed and looked up at the sky. What would Gibbs think? She hoped that Boss Man was giving Tony a hard time. He deserved it.

Fur Elise danced out of Kate's pocket and into her ears. She started, surprised, but relaxed to find out the sound was only her cell phone ringing. Glancing at the caller ID, she narrowed her eyes and shut off the phone. Tony. Probably trying to save himself from divorce. _It's too late now._

No more time for grieving. _I'll find a divorce attorney. I'll go back to the bullpen and act as if everything's just fine. I'll pretend like Tony is only my work partner. _Pulling on a straight face, she wiped away the last of her tears and turned resolutely on her heels. This was the return of the old Kate Todd. Kate DiNozzo ceased to exist.

Any plans for cutting off Tony from her life vaporized as Kate's eyes met the back of a blonde head. Liz. A new plan began to form.

Sprinting, Kate got into her car and managed to pull behind Liz's beige Camry on the streets. She had been an agent long enough to know how to properly tail a person without them suspecting. Carefully keeping two cars between them, she followed the Camry out of the city.

As they left the busy metropolitan city, the number of cars to hide behind decreased immediately. As the one car that stood between her and Liz changed lanes, Kate found herself staring at the back of Liz's head. If only she had her gun with her. A carefully aimed bullet would end all this trouble for her.

Kate, a bit preoccupied with thoughts on how to kill Liz, failed to notice Liz glance in her rearview mirror until it was too late. The Camry was slowing down to a stop. Kate told herself to keep going straight, as if she were just happened to be going to the same place Liz was. Unfortunately, Liz had other ideas. She stepped into the road, and Kate, acting reflexively, screeched to a stop.

Stepping out of her car, she acted casual, as if this were a mere run-in. "Liz! What are you doing?"

"I could ask you that very thing." The blonde's eyes were slitted viciously. "You were following me, weren't you?"

Kate shook her head desperately. Then, something clicked in her head. This woman had just ruined her marriage. Why was she the one who was backing off and acting meek? "I was going on a drive. It clears my head, and my head needed clearing," she snapped back. "After all, you just came along and destroyed my life."

Liz flipped her hair over one shoulder. "Listen, I was just trying to deliver the news as gently as I could. Tell you what," She placed a pale hand against her stomach. "If the kid's a girl, I'll even be willing to name her Kate."

It took nearly all of Kate's self control to keep herself from slapping Liz across the face. Angrily, she stalked back to her car and drove back to the city. Liz watched her go. A smile played across her features. One of these days, she should become an actress. She really should.

**TBC**

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Ahem, sorry for the short chapter. It'll probably be longer next time. 


	5. Cold Lasagna

Tony carefully sprinkled rose petals onto the dining table. The entire apartment smelled of cheese and tomato sauce, which could be traced to the enormous lasagna sitting in the oven. The table was spread with a red and white checked cloth that Tony found in the closet. Orange juice chilled in an ice bucket on the surface (pregnant women can't drink wine, Tony told himself). Two plates, two forks, two knives, and two napkins were neatly arranged. Vanilla candles had been placed all over the room, just waiting to be lighted. Tony smiled and tugged on the sleeves of his suit. Tonight would be perfect. _Complete, _he thought, _with homemade tiramisu._

After the confrontation with Gibbs, Tony literally ran down to Abby's lab and poured out his story. She responded with a slap in the face and a kick to a rather sensitive part of Tony's anatomy, but agreed to help him convince Kate he didn't do anything wrong in the end.

"What woman love," Abby had explained, "is the feeling of being loved. You just took that away from Kate today. I suggest you tell her what you told me over a romantic dinner at a fancy place. I can make you reservations at the Louveture."

The Louveture was nice, but Tony reasoned that there was nothing more romantic than making dinner yourself for the woman you loved.

Eleven hours had passed since Kate ran from the bullpen, and from past experiences, Tony knew that she would be home soon.

Twelve hours…

Thirteen hours…

Fourteen hours…

Fifteen hours…

Glancing at the clock, Tony tried hard to keep from crying. It was nearly midnight. His lasagna was cold and hard. The tiramisu had settled and become soggy. The ice in the ice bucket had melted, leaving a ring of condensation on the tablecloth. The night was a failure.

* * *

It took Kate a moment to realize she was heading toward Abby's. After seeing Liz, she drove slowly back to town and just kept driving in circles. She did not notice the passage of time until her stomach grumbled angrily. Her baby was hungry. Going back to the apartment she shared with Tony was not an option, and Abby's was the next best place of refuge. 

Heaving herself out of the car, Kate dragged her tired frame up the stairs. Why did Abby have to live on the Goddamn seventh floor? And where was the blasted elevator? Kate hoped Abby was still awake at midnight.

She needn't have worried. Abby answered the door after a few moments, wrapped in bed sheets, with McGee latched to her neck. Kate's eyes very nearly fell out. As soon as she spotted her friend though, Abby let out a squeak and shoved McGee away. Kate heard a crash and winced. The poor guy probably fell against a lamp.

"Kate!" Abby clutched at her sheets with one hand while holding out the other to her pregnant coworker. "What are you doing here?"

"I trust Tony told you what happened this morning."

Abby frowned. "Well yes, but you were supposed to be home hours ago! Tony-he prepared this romantic-" She stopped. "Oh no."

Kate looked quizzically at her friend. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing." Abby shook her head and her dark hair swished around her face. "Do you mind waiting a sec while Tim and I get dressed?"

"Of course not!" Kate hesitated. "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have interrupted. Why don't I just-"

"No, no! Stay here." A moment later, Kate faced a wooden door again.

* * *

The telephone was ringing loudly throughout the apartment. Tony was sitting on his and Kate's bed, his face buried in his hands. The urge to cry had overcome his resistance, and tears were currently running down his face. He had lost Kate forever. He was a fool to think that she would ever come back. 

_Hi. You've reached Tony and Kate DiNozzo. We're currently not interested in taking your call, and if you really have something important to say, leave a message after the beep._

The answering machine's message made Tony cry even harder.

"Tony! It's Abby. Pick up the phone right now! Kate's at my place!"

Tony sat up instantly and wiped his eyes. He groped for the bedside phone and cleared his throat. He hoped his voice didn't sound like he'd been bawling his eyes out.

"H-hello?" Tony cursed his cracking voice.

"Tony?" Abby's voice was soft. "Baby, you okay?"

"Yeah," he sniffed, "I'm fine."

"Kate is waiting outside for me. I'm going to try to get her to go home. Order some takeout, will you?"

"Yeah. Sure."

"Okay. You just wait there. She'll be home soon."

* * *

Abby tossed some cushions onto the couch. "Sit," she commanded. 

Kate slowly sank onto the couch. Abby flopped down next to her and McGee offered her a cup of cocoa, which she gladly accepted.

"Tell me what happened," Abby said.

Kate told her about her following Liz. She was surprised when tears started pouring out without control.

"A-a-and she said sh-she'd named t-t-the bab-by after m-m-m-me!" Kate wailed. "A-Abby, what do I do?"

Abby held her friend close and smoothed her hair. "Honey, it's going to be okay." She pushed Kate away and held her face. "Katie, I don't think Tony did all those things Liz said he did."

Kate sniffed. "I hate him."

"Oh Baby, you know you don't. You're just hurt." She hesitated. "I think you should go see Tony. He told me some things that I think you need to hear."

"Why can't you just tell me?"

Abby stood up. "The effect," she murmured, "wouldn't be the same. Now go home. Your husband needs you."

**TBC**

* * *

I tried desperately to think of some sort of romantic food that wasn't Italian. I did! French came to mind but all I could think of was escargot, and snails aren't the least bit romantic. 


	6. The Smell of Loneliness

Kate didn't know why she was doing this. She was supposed to rebel. She was supposed to show Tony that she wasn't going to come back if he made a mistake. _Stupid Abby. _She thought. _Stupid Abby and her stupid, stupid words. _But none the less, no matter how much she tried to talk herself out of it, Kate was heading back home.

The apartment was dark and quiet as she creaked open the door. The place smelled of loneliness. Prior that moment, Kate didn't even know loneliness had a smell. It reeked of salty tears and an empty heart. The clock on the kitchen wall ticked incessantly. It was the only thing Kate could hear. Maybe Tony was asleep, and she didn't have to deal with it until the morning came. Maybe he left. _To Liz, perhaps,_ she thought venomously. But she remembered Abby's parting words, and the look on her friend's face, and she decided that he was still home. _Waiting for me?_

Upon entering the bedroom, Kate found Tony on his side of the bed. His back was turned toward from her, but from his methodical breathing, she knew he was asleep. Treading quietly, Kate rounded the bed and bent to peer into her lover's face. Despite what had happened, despite the pain and the betrayal, Kate found that a little piece of her heart wasn't willing to let Tony go.

_He's been crying_. Kate felt her heart skip a beat. Indeed, clearly visible on Tony's cheeks, was a trail of dried tears. Without thinking, Kate leaned toward him to kiss the tears away. Her lips were almost touching his face when she realized what she was doing. She sharply let out a breath of air she had not known she was holding.

The next thing she knew, Tony's green eyes were open and staring at her.

"Kate!" His voice was scratchy and dry. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Oh God Kate, please listen to me."

Kate was already on her feet and moving toward the door. She didn't say a thing.

Tony hurried after her, grabbing her arm by the crook of her elbow. "Kate, please," he begged.

The pleading tone of his voice made a change come over Kate, but it was not for the better. She swung around and slapped his face so hard, it even surprised her. "Don't you beg me for anything," she snarled. "Was Liz begging when she was on the bed and you were fucking her senseless? Oh God, was it _our_ bed?"

Tony stumbled; one hand pressed against the red blotch on his cheek while the other grasped a chair for support. "Kate, dammit, I didn't do anything! I know you're mad! You have every right to be mad. Just give me five minutes to explain. Five minutes. If you're not happy with my story, then I'll get out and leave you alone."

Kate sat down hard on the edge of the bed. "Your time starts now." She eyed the alarm clock.

In a rush of words and gesticulations, Tony told Kate the story of his neighbor Liz. It did not have the desired affect on her.

"You expect me to believe that bull shit?" she demanded when his tale was done. "A third grader could have done better Tony."

"But it's true!" He sank onto the bed next to Kate and reached for her hands. She swatted him away like a fly and stood up.

"Give me one good reason why I should believe you."

Tony stood too and stared her right in the eye. "Have I ever lied to you before, Kate?"

That was all it took. It was like watching a dam break; Kate simply crumbled, and the tears she had been holding spilled from her eyes. Her vision robbed, she groped blindly for Tony and clung to him, sobbing into his chest.

He held her as close as he could, with her large belly separating them. "I never wanted to believe Liz," she admitted. "And I'm so sorry. So sorry for putting us through this. If I hadn't…"

Tony smoothed her hair as she trailed off. "Shh…I know. I don't blame you. You had every right to be mad. And I know that it seems like the kind of thing I would do, with my history of being a player and all." Silence settled over them like an old blanket, and Tony rocked back and forth on his feet, all the while holding Kate. Her warmth was something he would never take for granted again.

"But why would Liz come up with something like that?" Kate said into his shirt. The cotton fabric muffled her voice.

"I don't know, and I really don't care. Maybe she's just a lonely person with nothing to do."

His comment brought made the corner of her mouth tweak up. "God, I love you so much. I-" Kate stopped abruptly and placed a hand on her stomach. "I think the little one is kicking."

Tony placed his hand on her large belly and held it there for a few moments. "Are you sure? I don't feel anything."

"Yes, it's kicking right now." Suddenly, she doubled over. "Ohh, it's strong."

Alarm bells began ringing in Tony's head. "Kate, are you sure these aren't cramps?"

She looked up, thoughtful. "I, I guess they could be," she said slowly.

Tony did a quick calculation in his head. "It's only been six months right?"

Kate's face was pale. "Oh. My. God. Oh-oh!" She stumbled and clutched Tony's hands. "They're getting worse!"

Tony was already dragging her to the door. "Let's go! We can make it to the hosptial fast without traffic."

* * *

Uh oh! I doubt that cramps feel like a baby kicking though…The ending is a little strange. Originally, I had Kate's water break, but then I reread the first chapter and discovered that she was only six months pregnant, and I'm not sure what happens to a baby who's three months early. With no time to do research, I just left it at that. 

Also, I know that Kate and Tony should have been mad at each for much longer, considering the severity of what happened. I am, however, very bad at writing "mad" scenes. If I didn't let them make up now, you readers would be very bored.

Thank you for sticking with me through this story. I'm very very sorry that it's taking me so long to write. Spring break is coming up though, so I should be able to get more in.

Til next time,

Zee Italian Peech


	7. A Change of Heart

"Hmmm," The doctor glanced at Kate and Tony over her glasses as she flipped through some papers on her clipboard. "Mrs. DiNozzo, I'm happy to say that you're baby is fine for the moment. There might be some complications at birth, but there's nothing we can do about that until it's delivery time."

Kate and Tony both sighed in relief. They had rushed as fast as possible to the hospital, with Kate crying the entire way. She had been so afraid that the baby was too early, or she had miscarried. After a number of tests and ultrasounds, it was determined that the cramps had been caused by stress, and that both Kate and the baby were fine.

"Mrs. DiNozzo, your blood pressure is much higher than it should be. I'm inclined to think that you've been under a great deal of stress lately," the doctor continued. She gave the couple a daunting look.

"I-Well, I have…a stressful job," Kate offered.

"Ah! But surely you've taken your pregnancy leave by now?"

"Oh, but I've only been doing desk work."

"It is in my expert opinion that if you do not take your leave soon, you will lose the baby."

* * *

Tony leaned back on his chair and looked sadly at the empty desk across from him. Kate was at home now, resting, and making sure that the baby was okay. Tony knew that her job had nothing to do with the stress she had. It was all Liz's fault.

The problem was that Tony hadn't heard from Liz ever since their encounter at the bullpen. Gibbs had tried to help him track her down, but everything turned up a dead end. It was killing Tony, knowing that she was out there somewhere, telling people that he was the father of a child that didn't exist.

The phone rang, jarring Tony out of his thoughts. Swinging his feet off the desk from which they had been resting, he swept the phone off its cradle and said, "Agent DiNozzo."

His face, which had been relaxed (though maybe a bit tense) moments before, morphed into a mask of fury when he heard who was on the other end.

"Hey Tony. It's Liz."

"Liz." Tony's voice was monotone. McGee looked up when he heard "Liz." The entire team had banded together to help Tony find her, and now, McGee jumped to attention. He was best at tracking phone calls. If Tony could just keep Liz on long enough…

"Sorry I wasn't able to call before. I was a bit tied up in things."

"Listen Liz," Tony said through gritted teeth, "Thanks to you, Kate almost lost the baby."

There was a flutter of motion on the other end. "Well, I'm also carrying your child, so I don't see what the big deal is about."

Tony almost hung up right then, but he saw McGee rapidly typing away on his computer, and knew it was important to keep talking.

"I know the baby doesn't exist Liz. And Kate believes me. Why would you make up such a thing?"

"It's not made up. Where is Kate anyway? I tried calling her, but no one picked up."

"Kate is at home now, thanks to your fiddling."

For the first time since Tony had heard her speak, Liz's voice lost the snotty tone. She actually sounded scared as she said, "Kate's at home? Alone?"

"Um, yeah." Tony glanced at McGee, who shook his head, signaling that he was not yet done tracking Liz down. On the phone, Liz swore quietly.

"I have to go Tony," she said hurriedly, and promptly hung up. From his desk, McGee slammed his fist against his desk in frustration.

"I almost had it," he told Tony. "She's downtown, in the coffee shop district. It's a two mile strip, and I'm not sure which shop she's in."

Gibbs appeared almost instantly and clapped McGee on the back. "Good work. Let's get rolling."

Tony gripped the edge of his desk. "She said she had to go. That probably means she's not in the café anymore."

"Then I've got good news. I managed to pick up her GPS signal. From the looks of it-" McGee paused and pressed a few keys on his keyboard. A map of the city appeared on the big screen, with a little red dot traveling along its roads. "-Liz is on the move."

* * *

Liz had quite a lead foot when she felt like it. Cars around her were honking and screeching as she tore through the streets. It was uncomfortably warm in the car, but Liz's hands were cold. Her conversation with Tony kept replaying in her mind.

_"Kate is at home now, thanks to your fiddling."_

_"Kate's at home? Alone?"_

She knew that her employer was listening in on all her calls to Tony. News of Kate, alone and unarmed, would be of value to him.

The truth was, Liz was a good and honest person. She only agreed to trick Tony and Kate because it paid well, and money was something she was in dire need of. Having never learned to spend money wisely, Liz squandered her savings quickly, and was falling into bankruptcy when a strange man offered her two million dollars to deceive innocent people.

Once she met Kate and Tony, it became harder for Liz to keep lying. Now, she decided that it was time to come clean.

The house that she pulled up to was on a nice suburban street. Its lawn was neatly manicured, but the paint was peeling off, and the windows were tainted with dust and dirt. Liz ran up the walk and threw the door open, almost smashing into the man coming out.

"You can't do this Rhodes."

Rhodes, his hair slicked back, smiled greasily at the blonde woman. "Liz. Just the person I wanted to see." He opened the door wider and ushered her in. They stepped into the kitchen, where Liz slumped into a chair.

"Kate. Please, don't go and hurt her."

Rhodes wandered over to the counter and fingered the handle of a steak knife. "You know I wont hurt her. I'm just going to go over there and make her see that she's meant to be with me, not that Tony person."

"But you should have seen them! They were happy, so happy together. It broke my heart, lying to them like that."

Rhodes wrapped his fingers around the handle and picked it up. "You're becoming a bit of a problem in this play of things, Liz."

Liz looked up, and saw him approaching, knife in hand. She let out a strangled gasp, but sighed in relief as Rhodes put it back down. "Where are you going?"

He barely glanced back as he passed her. "To Kate."

Liz let out a cry and rushed to the door, blocking it. "No! I-I won't let you! I'll call the cops! They'll arrest you!"

Rhodes paused, turned, and picked up the knife. Liz turned and gasped, but stayed where she was. "Don't you use that," she whispered in horror.

Her words had no effect on the man. He rushed at her, imbedding the knife in her abdomen. Using one hand, he kept her upright and snarled into her face, "Get out of my way, bitch." He let go of her, and Liz dropped to the ground. Rhodes kicked her hard in the face before walking out the door. He didn't even have a single drop of blood on him.

**TBC**


End file.
